The invention generally relates to methods and systems for retaining software objects and associated information and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for providing intelligent and controlled access to supply chain related objects and documents in a database.
Most business entities have a perpetual need to inventory and exchange data among other business entities, both internally and with customers. Manufacturers, for example, have a constant need to inventory their product data in order to keep production flowing efficiently. As business arrangements become more complex, it becomes important to carefully organize and retrieve data that is shared among business partners. In some product markets, inventory orders can impact a business in ways that are difficult to predict. Businesses may depend on projections of such impacts to make informed decisions in a short amount of time. They may also be critical to a business's competitive edge. This becomes important as manufacturers are now outsourcing more and more products, further depending on outside business partners. When certain supplies or demands of products or individual components change, it affects inventory, product releases and other business-critical operations.
To complicate matters further, these business partners often exchange information electronically on different and incompatible formats. As a result, many businesses resolve this problem by actually exchanging paper documents among themselves. This of course seems absurd in light of modern day advancements in computer technology. However, most businesses that focus on producing products will not easily change their business practices at the administration level in fear of inhibiting their product flow. In order to gain acceptance by businessmen, any new method of exchanging data needs to be easily adaptable.
One approach is to custom design a system suited for a particular business organization. Many inventory systems exist that are particularly tailored to a user's needs. They are developed from basic software code routines that are used as building blocks. In reality though, these systems require that software code be written from scratch in almost every new application. The software architecture of such systems must be created and developed on an individual application basis. The result is a very high up front cost for each application.
In conventional applications, separate modules are created to perform certain tasks related to supply chain control. In order to monitor a supply chain in a meaningful manner, operation modules must integrate to some extent. Typically, modules such as reporting tools are custom made to a user's preferences, while other modules critical to the function of the reporting tool, such as data loading and data mining tools, are developed separately. The data loading and mining tools typically operate in a relational database, which requires some type of dynamic catalog to operate. In order to combine a reporting module with these operations, it must be integrated to use such a catalog. Unfortunately, integration of these entities is usually an afterthought. As a result, integration is very complicated, requiring special software code to build relationships among the modules. The end result is usually an inflexible custom application that is developed for a particular use, requiring ongoing development and maintenance at the database level. As a result, end users must rely on highly trained individuals to maintain such systems on site.
Therefore, there exists a need for a solution that can centralize information and allow access to certain supply chain information in an organized and useful manner. Such a solution would obviate the need for first line support at the user's site. As discussed below, the invention accomplishes this in a unique and elegant manner.